Course Description: This course is a survey course which is designed to provide you with a general introduction to psychology, which is the scientific study of the mind and behavior. This course will present both the subject matter of psychology, as well as the methods and approaches used to collect and test information about the basis of behavior.

This course will cover selected issues and concepts in psychology, from basic processses such as learning, sleep, and memory to more complex behaviors such as mental disorders and decision-making. Passing this course is a prerequisite to more advanced courses in the psychology department which elaborate on topics described in this course.

Course Goals:

1. Provide an overview of Psychology as a Science

2. Create interest and appreciation for Psychology

3. Provide you with the ability to evaluate claims in the media and in pseudo-science

Teaching Assistant: We are lucky to haveJosh Norberg as our TA for ths semester. Josh is available to answer questions related to the class material, Smartwork, participation in departmental research, and your course grades. Note that Josh is NOT here to provide you with missed lecture notes.

Text
Gazzaniga, M., Heatherton, T., & Halpern, D. (2011). Psychological Science, 4th Edition. W.W. Norton & Co. (includes SmartWork and Ebook). You have a choce between the paperback and e-book, if you purchase it in the MU Bookstore.

This packaged edition of the textbook comes with SmartWork, an online set of resources. SmartWork is required for this course, as it will be used for homework assignments. If you purchase the textbook from the university bookstore, it will be bundled with a registration code for SmartWork. The correct textbook will come wrapped with a registration code, so be careful when discarding packaging. You will also need the enrollment key: PSYCHSCI47848 , case-sensitive) for our course and section.

If you purchase a copy of the textbook elsewhere (Amazon, eBay, etc.), you will not have access to SmartWork unless you purchase that code separately. If so, you can just purchase the registration code: www.wwnorton.com/buysmartwork

More details on accessing SmartWork are given below and will be provided in class on Thursday, Jan 22.

Attendance: It is your responsibility to attend every class. Although my lectures will generally complement the material in the text, I like to present very recent findings and experiments, which means that much of the material presented in lectures will usually not be found in the textbook . Thus, it will be to your advantage to come to class. In addition, the lectures will help you organize the information presented in the textbook and focus on the important points. If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to get notes. My policy is not to give out my notes. If you miss a lecture, make sure to get a copy of the notes from someone who is a conscientious note-taker. I do not post copies of my lectures, but will provide a summary and important terms on review sheets posted on the syllabus for each exam.

I expect you to come prepared to listen and participate. I would also ask that you observe the following :

1. Be on time. I start lectures promptly and would like everyone ready by that time also.

2. I would also ask that you not leave before the end of the lecture because it is distracting both to me as well as to the other students.

3. If you plan to sleep, read materials from other classes, etc please don't come at all.

4. Please talk when you’re invited, either by raising a hand or participating in an activity. Chatting can be irritating to your fellow students and prevents them from hearing the lecture.

Cell phones, iPods, etc should be turned OFF during class

Class Participation: I will need your participation in many ways this semester.

First, I want to encourage you to ask questions or make comments as we discuss various topics.

Second, I hope to see you volunteer answers as I ask questions.

Third, I will need volunteers for various activities planned throughout the semester.

No Laptop Policy: Like all other instructors for Psychology 1000 in the MU Department of Psychology, it is my policy not to permit use of laptops in the General Psychology lectures. A major reason for this is that use of laptops can be a distraction not only for the user, but for also for neighboring students. In addition, considerable evidence indicates that use of laptops during lecture is associated with worse grades. You may think you can multi-task, but again, evidence indicates that attempts to multi-task come with a cost in terms of attention and learning.

Recording Policy: Lectures may NOT be recorded on video or cell phones. University of Missouri System Executive Order No. 38 lays out principles regarding the sanctity of classroom discussions at the university. The policy is described fully in Section 200.015 of the Collected Rules and Regulations. Redistribution of audio or video recordings of statements or comments from the course to individuals who are not students in the course is prohibited without the express permission of the faculty member and of any students who are recorded. Students found to have violated this policy are subject to discipline in accordance with provisions of Section 200.020 of the Collected Rules and Regulations of the University of Missouri pertaining to student conduct matters.

Examinations: There will be 3 multiple-choice examinations given. Each exam will cover material from an approximate five-week period; required exams are not cumulative. Material will come from both the book and (primarily) lecture. The exams will be held during class period on the dates indicated on the class schedule below. There will be no optional papers or additional projects offered for extra credit. Therefore, it is important that you study for each exam.

Once exam grades are posted, you will have 2 WEEKS to discuss grading issues. During this time, check your exam grade carefully for any errors. If you have any questions about an exam item, first talk to our TA. After the two week period, I will make NO GRADE CHANGES.

Exam Schedule
Feb 19 (Week 5)
April 2 (Week 10)
May 5 (Week 16)

Make-up Policy: Students who are unable to take one of the exams for legitimate reasons ( medical or family emergencies, University-related travel such as athletic or academic competitions) are responsible for informing the our TA or me before the date of the exam. Students who are then approved will take an Essay make-up exam . No makeup exams will be given without prior approval from Dr. Segert. Please be aware that many students find the essay make-ups more difficult and consequently, that the average score on the make-ups is considerably lower than the average grade on the regular exam.

SmartWork HomeworkInformation

This course uses an online homework component, called SmartWork. In order to use it, you must register and enroll in it.

2. We will have three online assignments (24 points for each) available for you to take during the semester. Smartwork can be accessed via the Norton Website, at : http://smartwork.wwnorton.com. A link will also be provided on our Blackboard site.

Each assignment consists of quiz questions for multiple chapters. In order to receive all possible points for the assignment, you must complete all questions, and you must select the correct answer on the final question.

For each SmartWork question, click “Check Answer” when you think you have selected the correct answer. Use your textbook to help you. For each question, you will have unlimited attempts to “check your answer” and respond correctly. When you click “Check Answer,” you will receive hints and feedback to help you correct your response. You can move between questions by clicking on the question numbers at the bottom of the window (“Progress”). You DO NOT have to click “Record My Grade”- everything you have done will automatically be collected when the assignment closes. In any case, don't click it until you are completely finished! Once you click that button, the assignment closes and you can no longer work on it. After the due date has passed, homework assignments will re-open for ungraded practice.

All quizzes must be completed by 10PM on the date indicated. There are no “make-ups” for quizzes, and I will not respond to emails asking me to re-post the quiz or give you points for any quiz that you did not take. Quizzes are available for a set amount of time, and it is your responsibility to take them within the allotted timeframe. Don't wait until the last minute to start your assignments. Problems with SmartWork while taking the quiz can only be addressed well before the due date. Do not expect to start late, and then if you encounter problems, get responses to e-mail in the hour or two before the deadline.

Homework Due Dates: Due by 10PM on the following dates

Tues, Feb 17 (Week 5)
Tues, March 31 (Week10)
Sunday May 3(Week 15)

Research Participation: Experimentation is the main source of our understanding of human behavior. As psychologists, we determine what is true through careful scientific procedures. You are asked to become involved in this process and experience first-hand how psychologists begin to draw conclusions and make theories about human behavior.

Your involvement requires that you either:

1). volunteer to serve as a subject in official experiments in the Department of Psychology, or

2). submit a written report called Alternative Readings.

Forty-eight (48) points, or 10% of your final grade, will come from experimental participation. Note that this is one letter grade. This is not extra credit, but a required part of the course. The requirement is 12 half hour credits. Completing 12 credits will earn you 48 points in the class. In other words, each credit is worth 4 points in the class. Students who have zero unexcused “no-shows” at the end of the semester will receive a 1-credit bonus. This translates to 4 points in the class. Note that you can not get credit for more than 6 credits of online experiments ( not counting the mass pre-test survey described below). Other than the 1 creidit bonus for having zero "no-shows", there is no extra credit for doing more than 12 credits.

At the beginning of the semester, you will have the opportunity to complete a mass pre-test survey. This is an online questionnaire which identifies possible future partticapants for specific studies. This survey will be available for approximately 2 weeks. Opening and closing dates will be psoted on the syllabus. This survey DOES NOT count as one the online studies.

1. Sign-up for the official experiments is through an on-line system. The website address for research participation is: http://missouri.sona-systems.com All Psychology experiments are listed on this Psych 1000 Research Participation Website. You must logon at this webpage to receive credits for participating in experiments.

Your logon and password for the website will be automatically created based on the class roster as of the first day of class. Shortly after the start of the semester, you should receive an email to your university email address with your logon and password information.This is not your regular MU password. Please check your “junk” mail for this e-mail.

If you do not receive an email with your Research Participation Logon and Password within the first 10 days of the semester, you should notify The Human Subjects Committee Coordinator (psych1000research@missouri.edu) so that she can create an account for you. Please include your first and last name, university UserID (pawprint), student number, course section, and university email address in your e-mail message. +

2. Alternative readings. If you choose, you can complete Alternative Assignments instead of participating in actual research. To do an Alternative Assignment, you must write a 2-page, double-spaced, typed summary of one of the articles I post on our syllabus. All summaries must use 1-inch margins and a 12-point font. Completing a two-page summary of one article is equivalent to 2 credits (8 points). You can earn 1 credit (4 points) for each FULL page. Partial credit will be given for partial pages. If you choose to do only Alternative Assignments, 6 papers will substitute for the entire experimental requirement. You may do both experiments and alternative reading summaries, in any combination.

DUE DATE: Last day to turn in papers is April 23, 2015, although they can be turned in at any time during the semester. Please turn in a paper copy in class

3. Complete Research Participation Guidelines: A document with complete information about research participation can be found here.

Grading. The total possible points you can earn is 480: 360 from Exams; 48 from Experimental Participation; 72 from Smartwork Homework. Letter grades for the course are based on total cumulative points, and will be determined as follows:

Letter Grade

Total Cumulative Points

A+

471-480 Pts

A

447-470 Pts

A-

432-446 Pts

B+

423-431 Pts

B

399-422 Pts

B-

384-398 Pts

C+

375-383 Pts

C

351-374 Pts

C-

336-350 Pts

D+

327-335 Pts

D

303-326 Pts

D-

288-302 Pts

F

Below 288 Pts

Rounding policy: Final Grades are determined by the points you earn in the class. It is to your advantage to study and prepare throughout the semester, so you are not in the position of missing the next higher grade by a point or two at the end of the semester.

Note: I will not respond to emails asking me to adjust or add points to your grade. Exam scores are adjusted when necessary; such adjustments are made immediately after each exam and applied to all students taking that exam. No other grade adjustments are made.

Academic Honesty: Academic honesty is fundamental to the activities and principles of a university. All members of the academic community must be confident that each person's work has been responsibly and honorably acquired, developed and presented. Any effort to gain an advantage not given to all students is dishonest whether or not the effort is successful. The academic community regards academic dishonesty as an extremely serious matter, with serious consequences that range from probation to expulsion. When in doubt about plagiarism, paraphrasing, quoting, or collaboration, consult the instructor. The University has specific academic dishonesty administrative procedures. In particular, it is NEVER PERMISSIBLE to turn in any WORK THAT HAS BEEN COPIED from another student or from a published source.

In this course, cheating, or the appearance of it, will result in an automatic Zero on that exam or paper. Such actions include displaying a test for others to see, looking at another person's test paper, attempting to communicate in any manner with another student during the test, irregularities in research participation or Smartwork materials, or fabricated e-mails. In addition, any incident of cheating will be reported to the provosts office

Accommodations For Students With Disabilities: If you have a disability and need accommodations (for example, extended testing time, notetakers, large print materials), please inform your instructor privately as soon as possible. In most circumstances, students with disablilities seeking academic accommodations should also register with the Access Office, A048 Brady Commons, 882-4696. As necessary, the Access Office will review documentation about your disability and about the need for accommodations you are requesting. The Access Office will then assist in planning for any necessary accommodations.

Intellectual Property Notice
All course materials including but not limited to the syllabus, course assignments, study guides, learning guides, online lecture videos and content, and lab book (i.e. course pack) are property of the instructor and University and may not be shared online or distributed in any manner to others. Students are prohibited from posting course materials or notes online and from selling notes to or being paid for taking notes by any person or commercial firm without the express written permission of the professor teaching this course. Doing so will constitute both an academic integrity violation and a copyright violation. Violations of copyright laws could subject you to civil penalties and criminal liability. Violations of academic integrity may subject you to disciplinary action under University policies